Less for your dough
The days of big slices coming off pizza prices are gone as fast-food chains absorb rising input costs. But the pizza companies have other ways to hit your wallet and waistline this year. Australian fast-food chains including Domino’s Pizza and Eagle Boys are promoting quality, menu variety and value-for-money offerings to tempt customers as family budgets tighten. They are being held back from savage pizza price discounting wars because they are negotiating a massive rise in prices of key ingredients including wheat—its price has more than doubled in a year and cheese and meat for toppings. Food industry experts say that because Australia’s economy needs to slow to avert inflationary pressures, this probably will mean slowing growth for the fast-food chains. But they should weather the storm in reasonable shape because consumers might opt for fast food instead of trips to more expensive restaurants. The Courier Mail, April 19.
